December 20

Jamaica

[Land, ho!]

[This is as close as we came to precipitation the entire trip . . . ]

[What better way to begin the day than with a Mamsen’s waffle, with berries and Brunost cheese?]

[In the port of Ocho Rios . . . ]

[It looked like we could have some weather, but . . . ]

[By the time we got to our buses, the sun, heat, and humidity joined the fray . . . ]

[Congress just did what?]

[Our guide’s name was Washworth – yes, even he thinks it’s a weird name!]

[Our shore excursion here was to . . . ]

[The sign is coming up next . . . ]

[Here!  I’m not usually partial to places that warn “at your own risk!”]

[Ughhh!]

[OK, here it is – you can find all kinds of videos of this place on YouTube.  And we checked them out ahead of time and realized this is for people without gray in their hair . . . ]

[I mean, what could be more fun than chain climbing a rushing water falls?]

[OK, there’s some other neat stuff too . . . ]

[But this is the tourist attraction . . . ]

[Hey, people, the sign is your getaway!]

[Hey, someone catch that kid!]

[And the ocean’s at the bottom . . . ]

[But now let’s climb all the way up . . . ]

[The sign signals they’ve only lost “22” today (just kidding) . . . ]

[Life’s better as a spectator . . . ]

[Now I know how a salmon feels . . . ]

[The Super’s shooting videos (could be used for police evidence) . . . ]

[Preparing for the assault on the summit . . . ]

[Don’t let go!!!]

[“No Carving on Rocks” – who’da thunk?]

[I did, but on the dry side – it was still a long hike up . . . ]

[A garden – sounds like more our age group’s speed . . . ]

[I have reason to suspect this is a torch ginger plant . . . ]

[I have reason to believe this is Tally, our garden guide (she said just remember, “hey, mr. tally man, tally me banana”).  BTW, Washworth was at one time one of the falls climbers but traded in his swimsuit for a Viking guide lollipop . . . ]

[More red torch ginger?]

[She was botanist, so she also knew all the scientific names.  She also sang while we walked to keep us entertained . . . ]

[Unfortunately, even on the internet, most of these are just described as Dunn River Jamaican flowers . . . ]

[Say,”Bob Marley”!]

[I believe anthurium . . . ]

[Maybe hibiscus?]

[I believe the common name was something akin to snowflake . . . ]

[Not a flower . . . ]

[Balisier?]

[“Butterfly” plant?]

[The yellow-spotted green leaf (OK, that’s just a guess) . . . ]

[Red Caribaea?]

[It looks like famingos.]

[Flowing water, I can identify that . . . ]

[A flowering Ruthie . . . ]

[And now the overlook of Ocho Rios . . . ]

[There’s the town, and the ocean . . . ]

[There’s the Super in a frame . . . ]

[That’s not our cruise ship . . . ]

[More flowing water . . . ]

[An American alligator (she had a passport) . . . ]

[A red bird . . . ]

[The same red bird . . . ]

[Heading back to the ship, a reminder that Jamaica is more than just Bob Marley . . . ]

[But I did forget to ask about the bobsled team . . . ]

[Is it Happy Hour?  There is an optional Bob Marley shore excursion.  We talked to some folks who took it.  They could not endorse it.  They said it was long bumpy ride on a school bus, the music was way too loud when they got there, and the smell of “weed” (which they anticipated, and maybe appreciated) was also a bit much . . .]

[Here’s one of our lecturers from St. Paul, Bill  Gurstelle, who apparently is quite well known for his publishings about catapults!]

[And it was always nice to finish most evenings with the classical trio . . . ]

[And so to all, a good night . . . ]

Tell the children the truth.  ~  Bob Marley

Up Next:  At sea?